American Scene: 100,000 Facebook users use organ donor option

By THE WASHINGTON TIMES - -
Wednesday, May 2, 2012

GEORGIA

ATLANTA — An organ donation group says more than 100,000 people used a Facebook feature on its first day to declare they are donors.

The option was announced Tuesday by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to boost the number of potential organ donors. It allows Facebook users to add organ donor along with other personal information on the site.

Donate Life America, the group working with Facebook, said more than 100,000 users had added their donor status by Tuesday night.

The feature also provides a link to state registries so people can officially sign up to be donors. By Wednesday morning, 18,000 Facebook users had used the link.

A spokeswoman said the company didn’t know how many of those 18,000 followed through and registered.

NORTH CAROLINA

Pastor: Telling parents to punch gay sons was joke

FAYETTEVILLE — A North Carolina pastor says he was joking when he told parents to punch their sons if they show any signs of homosexuality.

Sean Harris was preaching at Berean Baptist Church about marriage before a vote on a state constitutional amendment that would make marriage between a man and a woman the only legal domestic union in the state.

Mr. Harris said he does not advocate hitting children and wishes he could take back the remarks.

He said he stands by his belief that “the word of God makes it clear that effeminate behavior is ungodly.”

NEVADA

Killer of Olympic boxer gets 21 years to life

LAS VEGAS — A man has been sentenced to 21 years to life in a Nevada prison for the slaying of Olympic bronze medal-winning boxer Rhoshii Wells in a Las Vegas apartment courtyard.